Henry Greathead of South Shields is generally credited with the invention of the lifeboat. In 1789 a group of prominent of residents of South Shields placed an advertisement in the Newcastle Courant inviting the submissions of designs for "a Boat, … to go through a very heavy broken sea- the intention of it to preserve the lives of seamen from ships come ashore". A reward to two guineas was offered to the successful designer. There were two serious entrants to the competition, Henry Greathead and William Wouldhave. The Committee asked Greathead to produce a boat adding some modifications to his original design.

This is a printed report drawn up as a result of a petition to Parliament by Henry Greathead seeking support to allow him to continue building lifeboats. The petition consists of statements made by some of Greathead’s supporters.